Washington, DCPie Shops

The sweet potato pie is what keeps regulars coming back to U Street's historic greasy spoon, founded in 1968 by Henry E. Smith, who was known as the King of Soul Food, and the kitchen still sends out fried chicken and Southern staples. A second Henry's runs in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Order a slice of sweet potato pie, after a plate of fried chicken.

The Park Hyatt's sleek wooden dining room in the West End is famous for its apple pie, made to feed two. The dessert list around it runs to a cake built with candied Virginia peanuts and Illanka chocolate mousse, and to specialty ice creams with caramel sauce or molten chocolate syrup. Order the apple pie for the table, with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

An H Street shop given over to pie, sweet and savory, with quiche beside the pies and an upstairs bar that hosts live music. Its Berger cookie pie takes Maryland's Berger cookies, shortbread topped with fudge icing, and crumbles them into a vanilla buttermilk custard. Order a slice of the Berger cookie pie, and a savory pie to take home.

A Vienna institution on Maple Avenue whose case runs to sweet, fruit and savory pies, from apple, pecan and blackberry-peach to a potato and bacon pie, along with cream pies in banana, chocolate, coconut and key lime. Order a slice of coconut cream or key lime, or a whole blackberry-peach pie to take home.

An Arlington pie bakery on North Glebe Road whose lineup changes from week to week, with pies that have run from pumpkin praline and pecan to salted-caramel chocolate chess and tart-cherry crumb. Order the salted-caramel chocolate chess, or the pumpkin praline when it is in the case.